The Simple Coin Trick to Check Your Freezer’s Reliability
Here’s a great little trick to check if your freezer has been working properly while you’ve been away. Summer is the perfect time for vacations and travel, but before you close the door behind you to leave, there’s a simple way to make sure your food is safe from food poisoning. All you need is a coin to check if your food has been stored correctly in the freezer!
The Importance of the Coin Trick
This trick is known in several parts of the world and is particularly valuable for those who live in areas where power outages are more frequent. These outages occur even more often in the summer when energy demand increases. This happens frequently, for example, in southern European countries, where planned outages can last several hours, compromising the integrity of food stored in freezers.
How a Coin Can Prevent Food Poisoning
How can a simple coin be instrumental in avoiding the risks of food poisoning? It is necessary to start from the assumption that, in the event of a prolonged blackout, it is precisely the foods in the freezer that are most at risk. The increase in internal temperature can create suitable conditions for the proliferation of bacteria, which occurs even more frequently in particularly “delicate” foods such as meat and fish. Obviously, the longer the downtime, the greater the risk of food spoilage, given the consequences of eating it.
Implementing the Coin Trick
This is where the ploy of the coin comes into play, which can allow you to understand whether or not there has been a dangerous and prolonged power outage. This trick allows you to leave for your vacations without worries. To carry it out, simply equip yourself with a bowl or plastic cup, some water, and finally a coin. Before leaving, fill the glass with water and place it in the freezer. When the liquid freezes, place the coin on the surface and then place it back in the freezer.
What to Look For Upon Return
At this point, it is what will be found upon return that will document what happened during the days of absence, and thus whether or not the ice has melted in the meantime. If the situation remains unchanged, it means that there has been no power outage. In the event of a power outage, the level at which the coin is found will indicate the risks: the deeper it is found, the more prolonged the outage will have been. Once the result has been ascertained, it is advisable to assess very carefully the state of preservation of food before consuming it.
